Vehicles have used vehicle telematics units to monitor vehicle functions and provide communications services. Recently, vehicle telematics units have begun providing short-range wireless communications access to users of wireless devices in close proximity to the vehicle, such in the form of a Wi-Fi hotspot. Wherever the vehicle moves, the vehicle telematics unit can offer and provide a connection to wireless devices that are within a limited range of the vehicle. However, providing short-range wireless access can involve the administration of a number of settings that generally govern the terms under which the vehicle telematics unit and the wireless devices exchange data. For example, these settings can include establishing and changing a password used to access the Wi-Fi hotspot.
With respect to fixed wireless routers used with immobile Wi-Fi hotspots, settings are often monitored and changed using a personal computer (PC) that is in wired, direct communication with the fixed router. That is, the PC and the fixed wireless router are directly linked (e.g., via an Ethernet cable) and a user can input router settings at a keyboard of the PC that command the fixed wireless router to alter its configuration. In contrast, vehicle telematics units that provide Wi-Fi hotspots are not usually connected directly to a PC or other such device and even if the vehicle telematics unit were, it may not be desirable to permit local control of the Wi-Fi hotspot using the PC.